Legislative briefs.legislative briefs * The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (SN: 10/25/86, p.264) became law on Oct. 22. In addition to providing timetables and standards for dealing with asbestos in some 35,000 schools, it requires the Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), independent agency of the U.S. government, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1970 to reduce and control air and water pollution, noise pollution, and radiation and to ensure the safe handling and not only to assess over the next year the extent to which asbestos-containing materials in public and commercial buildings threaten public health, but also to determine whether a program for inspection and remedial action A remedial action is a change made to a nonconforming product or service to address the deficiency. Rework and repair are generally the remedial actions taken on products, while services usually require additional services to be performed to ensure satisfaction. -- similar to that now in place for schools--should be developed. * President Reagan used his pocket veto pocket veto n. 1. The indirect veto of a bill received by the President within ten days of the adjournment of Congress, effected by retaining the bill unsigned until Congress adjourns. 2. on Nov. 2 to kill the proposed National Energy Conservation Act of 1986, a bill that would have set federal energy efficiency standards for consumer appliances. * The President also pocket vetoed the Clean Water Act Reauthorization on Nov. 6. He wanted the bill to authorize only $6 billion for sewage treatment Sewage treatment Unit processes used to separate, modify, remove, and destroy objectionable, hazardous, and pathogenic substances carried by wastewater in solution or suspension in order to render the water fit and safe for intended uses. over 4 years, not the bill's proposed $18 billion over 9 years. The bill would also have set up a new program to control the runoff Runoff The procedure of printing the end-of-day prices for every stock on an exchange onto ticker tape. Notes: If the "tape is late" then it can take a long time to print off all the closing prices. of toxic chemicals, including pesticides, from such non-industrial sources as farms and construction sites. "It's astounding a·stound tr.v. a·stound·ed, a·stound·ing, a·stounds To astonish and bewilder. See Synonyms at surprise. [From Middle English astoned, past participle of astonen, that a concern at the top of the public environmental agenda would be ignored by the White House," says Sharon Newsome of the National Wildlife Federation, which lobbied for the bill's passage. The bill had also won unanimous House and Senate approval (SN: 10/25/86, p.264). |
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